(Photo courtesy of ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours)
Tell clients to ditch the tour bus and hit the trails in Europe and North America on rafting and cycling tours made for all types of travelers.
Go for a Ride
Cycling enthusiasts can Train Like a Local with Italiaoutdoors Food and Wine tours this May and June. The tour, offered May 26-June 1 and June 16-22, is a 6-night trip riding through the foothills south of the Dolomites, north of Venice.
The area is known as the training ground for local and race teams, so riders will have the opportunity to cycle some of the “most challenging climbs” in Italy, such as Monte Grappa. The tour also takes riders through towns and cities along the way so travelers can explore and sample traditional foods and wines in each area, like the white asparagus of Bassano and wines from the Montello e Colli Asolani and Breganze wine regions.
Rates start at $3,695 pp dbl and include accommodations, ground transportation, guide services, all breakfasts and three dinners. For more information, visit italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine.com.
ExperiencePlus!, meanwhile, has partnered with Whole Journeys, a division of Whole Foods Market, to give travelers a tour in France dedicated to cycling and food. The itinerary includes visits to local producers and tastings with vendors in Provence.
Pedaling Provence runs from Oct. 11-18, the same time as the annual olive harvest, taking travelers from Arles to St. Remy for olive oil and the melon fields of Luberon. Travelers will be riding 18 to 31 miles a day through Provence’s villages, vineyards and lavender fields.
Rates start at $4,295 pp and include seven nights of accommodation; four dinners with wine; one lunch; seven breakfasts; use of a high-quality 27-30 speed bicycle; and visits to places on the itinerary. For more information, visit experienceplus.com.
Take a River Raft
Outdoor adventurers and beer lovers will enjoy the combination of beer and whitewater rafting with Rogue Wilderness Adventures’ Labor Day trip, Paddles and Pints, on the Rogue River in Oregon.
The 4-day trip takes travelers rafting in the canyon during the day and on guided beer tastings at night with Portland’s Hopworks Urban Brewery. Two of the nights will be spent camping by the river, and the third night features a stay at Paradise Lodge.
Rates start at $1,150 pp and include beer; camping gear; all meals; lodging at Paradise Lodge; guides; rafts; and transportation to and from the river. For more information, visit wildrogue.com.
On Western River Expeditions’ Westwater Multisport Adventure tour, travelers take a river rafting tour through Westwater Canyon in Utah, and then hit the back country of Moab on a Hummer safari on the “Hell’s Revenge” trail. The 3-night trip features a stay at Red Cliffs Lodge on the Colorado River and an optional horseback ride in Castle Valley.
Rates start at $675 plus tax for adults, and $635 plus tax for children ages 12 to 15. Rates include accommodations at Red Cliffs Lodge; Hummer safari; rafting; hiking; three breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner; and transfers to and from Moab. For more information, visit westernriver.com.
